Apparatus for malting and drying



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J. F. BALDWIN. APPARATUS FOR MALTING' AND DRYING] No. 350,472.. Patented 001;. 12, 188.6.

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N. PETERS, Fhnlo-lilhognphur. Washington, DC.

(No Model. I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. F. BALDWIN,

APPARATUS FOR MALTING AND DRYING.

No. 350,472. Patented Oct. 12, 1886.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

JOSEPH F. BALDIVIN, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR MALTING AND DRYING.

JPECIE'ICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 350,472, dated October 12, 1886.

Applicaton filed April 9, 1885.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J osnrrr F. BALDWIN, of

- Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Malting and Drying, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for .its object to provide an improved apparatus adapted to be used for malt-ing grains at any season of the, year, and also adapted to be used for drying purposes.

To these ends the invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forlninga part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved apparatus. Fig. 2 represents a vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 represents a top view. Fig. 4 represents a section on line w m, Fig. 2, looking downward. Fig. 5 represents a section on line 3 3 looking downward. Fig. 6 represents a perspective view of one of the fixed compartments, the side wall thereof being partially broken away. a

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, (t represents a casing or structure containing a series of floors separating its interior into compartments 1) b, each floor extending entirely across the casing and being rigidly attached thereto, so that there is no space between the walls of the compartments and the casing. g a

c 0 represent vertical trunks or flues, extending downwardly from the top of the casing and communicating with the spaces over all the compartments 1) through openings, which are provided with valves or dampers 6, Figs. 2 and 4. f f represent similar trunks or fines at the opposite side of the casing from the flues c c,and communicating with the spaces over the compartments through openings provided with valves or dampers g. The upper ends of the fines c ccommunicate with a chamber, 17, which may receive air through openingsjj and conduct it over a steam-coil, k, in said chamber, or may receive cold air through a pipe, Z, communicating with a'refrigerating chamber or apparatus, so that either warm or cold air maybe supplied to the dues c 0. The

lower ends of thefiues f f are connected by a flue, f, Fig. 4, to which is connected a pipe, m, leading to an exhaust-fan or other apparatus for drawing air through the fluesff, and thus causing it to flow from the dues c c laterally through the spaces over thecompartments l), currents of warm or cold air, as thecase may be, being thus caused to pass (always in the same direction) over the contents of the compartments.

Vhen the apparatus is used for drying, warm air being supplied the moisture from the contents of the compartments is carried by said air-currents into the tines ff, each compartment being traversed by a current of air which has not passed over any other compartment, and therefore has not received moisture from the drying grain. The action of the air in drying is therefore made rapid and uniform by this arrangement of fiues, the moisture .from each compartment being carried directly away and not allowed to enter any other compartment.

The bottoms of the compartments are pro- 7'; vided with openings 0, Fig. 6, through which the grain may be discharged from compartment to compartment until it reaches the bottom compartment, which has side openings communicating with the does 0 c andff, and 80 provided with lids 1' .9, adapted to be opened to connect the dues c f with the interior of said bottom compartment.

hen it isdesired to expel the grain from the bottom compartment, the entire air-pressure may be directed thereon by closing the valves'ee e and g g g and opening the lids 7' s. The air-currents thus concentrated will draw the grain outwardly through the pipe m.

Over the compartments 1) are circular per- 0 forated' water-pipes t, arranged to discharge water in spray or fine streams or drops upon the grain in the compartments whenever it is desired to dampen it. The perforated pipes are supplied with water by an external pipe, 9 a, connected with them by branches 0 12, each having a cock, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4.

a represents a vertical shaft passing'through the centers of the compartments and rotated by a driving-shaft, b, having a worm which meshes with a worm-wheel on the shaft. To the shaft a are attached a series of arms, 0 c,

each having a series of gangs of plows, (1, formed to act 011 the grain in the compartments, in the same manner that an agricultural plow acts on the earth-via, dislodging and turning it over, so as to bring previously-covered parts to the surface. These plows, revolving in the compartments by continually turning the grain, expose all parts of it to the action of the air currents, and thus greatly facilitate both the action of the warm air in drying and of the cold air in malting, and prevent the grain from souring and fermenting, it being impossible for any part of the grain to remain covered a sufficient length of time for fermentation to set in. This continual turning of the grain by the plows enables it to lie in greater depth on the bottoms of the compartments during the malting process than heretofore.

It has been the custom to turn the grain by shovels when the temperature begins to rise,

and to enable this to be done it has been nec essary to keep the grain so thinly spread or floored that the quantity of grain thatcan be malted on a given floor-area is necessarily much less thancan be treated by my improved apparatus.

\Vhen the machine is used for malting, air from the chamber containing the steamcoil In is shut off from the lines 0 c by valves 2", and cold air admitted from the pipe Z, said air passing over the compartments, as already described, each compartment receiving a current of air that has not passed over any other compartment, so that the air passing over all the compartments is at the same temperature. The temperature can thus be kept continuous] y at any desired degree, and in practice should never-be above Fahrenheit during the germinating process. The plows are kept in motion during the process either continuously or for such length of time as may be desired, and, by preventing any part of the grain from remaining covered long enough to heat and ferment they insure perfectly sweet malted grain.

lVhen the process of germination is to be checked, and when the apparatus is to be used for drying purposes, the cold air is shut off and warm air admitted, an independent fresh current of said air passing over each compartment, as already described, the plows being kept in motion as before, and subjecting all parts of the grain to the drying action of the warm air.

I do not limit myself to passing the air through the machine from top to bottom. If desired, the air, either cold or warm, may be admitted into the lower part of the casing, and caused to ascend either by natural laws (as when warm air is used) or by suitable air forcing apparatus.

When it is desired to discontinue the operation of the plows on any floor, a clutch m, connecting the plow-carrying arms with the .shaft a, may be disconnected from said shaft.

Said clutch is in the present instance a dog pivoted to one of the arms 0, and entering a slot in a collar, a, affixed to the shalt. \Vhen the clutch is raised from the collar n',the arms 0' will not rotate with the shafta.

I claim- 1. In a malting or drying machine, the combination of a casing, a series of fixed tloors dividing the casing up intoa series of independent compartments, a discharge for each compartment located at each side of the center, for delivering the grain to the compartment below, an air-induction flue or lines co1nmunicating with each of said compartments at one side of the same, and an aineduetion flue or flues connnunicating with the compart ments at the other side of the same, covers adapted to close and open said induction and eduction openings, and water-spraying pipes located in said compartments, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a malting and drying machine, of a casing provided with chambers separated by intervening floors, having apertures to permit the grain in one chamber J to pass to another, air induction and eduction fines on opposite sides of the casing, COlIllllllnicating with each of the chambers, and means, substantially as described, for forcing air into the induction-flue, of valves for closing communication between the eduction and induction fines and the chambers above the lowest, whereby the entire pressure of the air will pass through the latter to force the grain out of the same, as set forth. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 6th day of April, 1885.

JOSEPH F. BALDWIN, *1 t n esses:

C. 1 BROWN, A. L. Vans. 

